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<p>General practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors who hold contracts with
NHS England to provide primary medical services for the National Health Service. Under
the terms of their contract, GPs are required to provide certain medical reports or
complete certain forms, such as those required to support a claim for incapacity benefit,
free of charge to their registered patients.</p><p> </p><p>Outside of contractual
requirements, GPs also provide a variety of other services which successive governments
have regarded as private matters between the patient and the GP providing these services.
Whether or not to provide these services is a matter for individual GPs. They may
decline to provide them or charge a fee for doing so. Where GPs intend to charge for
services to patients, the British Medical Association advises them to forewarn patients,
at the earliest opportunity, of the likely level of fees.</p>
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